Saints struggle against Rams, fall to 5-3 on season

Quarterbacks. Drew Brees does a lot of things well. Avoiding a rush is one of those things. But when he eats a hit or two in a game, he just isn’t all that effective. The Rams pounded Brees early and forced the undersized quarterback into a handful of mistakes in an ugly loss.

Grade: C-

Halfbacks. If you can’t run the football against the Rams, you probably can’t run it on anyone. The team won the Super Bowl with a top 5 rushing offense. They are currently in the bottom five in the NFL in that stat.

Grade: D

Wide receivers. The Rams’ top four cornerbacks from the preseason were all injured and unavailable for Sunday’s game. The Saints’ couldn’t exploit that advantage. The Rams instead exploited a weakness in the Black and Gold and showed the world that Jimmy Graham doesn’t like being bumped at the line of scrimmage. Basketball players really don’t like contact after all.

Grade: C

Offensive line. When Drew Brees gets sacked six times and you can’t even get 60 yards rushing on the Rams, this becomes the easiest grade of the week.

Grade: F

Defensive line. Stephen Jackson is a good halfback. Check that. He’s a great halfback. But no one should get six yards per carry. That’s just bad defense.

Grade: D

Linebackers. The Saints’ linebackers were not very good for the bulk of the game Sunday. But they did score a touchdown that sparked the team’s comeback that made the game closer than it probably should have been.

Grade: B

Defensive backs. Against a backup quarterback, the Saints did a good job getting pressure on A.J. Feeley. They didn’t really do much to keep him out of rhythm, despite the wholesale blitzing.

Grade: C

Special teams. When will Darren Sproles learn to kneel the football when he’s six or seven yards deep in his own end zone? The Saints were consistently having to start at their own 15-yard-line.

Grade: D+

Coaching staff. Who’s in control of the Saints’ football team? Is it Sean Payton or is it this Pete Carmichael? I understand the guy’s hurt, but Sean Payton can call plays from upstairs. That he’s refusing to do so is hurting the team and frankly, is making the coach look like he’s taking a vacation.

Grade: D

Overall the St. Louis Rams hadn’t won a game all season. That didn’t seem to bother them Sunday, as they pulled off the upset of the now 5-3 Saints. The Black and Gold’s first half schedule is far easier than its second half. With matchups with Tampa Bay, Atlanta (twice), New York Giants, Detroit, Tennessee and Minnesota on the road remaining, I’m not sure this team will be in a position to get a first round bye, or even a playoff spot at all if things don’t get fixed up defensively.

OVERALL TEAM GRADE: C-